a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to computer-based address books and particularly Internet accessible address book systems that are voice operated. The present invention is primarily directed to an advanced address book system that includes software that operates more like human thinking and offers additional features not heretofore offered by conventional computer-based address books. In particular, the present invention offers at least three dimensions or choices of queries, including a name search that includes comparative, connective and logic generated assistance for the user. The user makes the queries by voice and matches are achieved through phoneme format comparisons.
b. Description of Related Art
The following patents are representative of advances in computerized address book system and/or multiple message transmission technology:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,940,951 B2 describes a speech enabled automatic name dialer dialing system for connection to a telephone, system, that includes a user computer with a computer-based address book program for retrieval of name-telephone number data for creation of speech enabling phoneme sets for autodialing by speaking a name and utilizing telephone application programming interface (TAPI) for use with user telephones connected to a PBX-type telephony mechanism. User computers have a microphone and speaker and contain at least one loaded address book program. There is software with access to the data base that creates name phonemes corresponding to the name-telephone number data; and software to access computer-based address book programs, to receive voice inputs from the telephony mechanism, to create converted phonemes from the spoken names to match voice inputs with specific name-telephone number data from the computer-based address book programs for initiating an automatic dialing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,354 B2 describes a speech enabled automatic telephone dialer device that uses a spoken name corresponding to name telephone number data. User telephones are connected to a public service telephony mechanism. The telephony mechanism and user computer work stations containing loaded address book programs with name-telephone number data, are connected to the name dialer device. The name dialer device includes a host computer in a network; a telephony board for controlling the telephony mechanism for dialing; memory within the host computer for storing software and name-telephone number data; and, software to access computer-based address book programs, to receive voice inputs form the telephony mechanism, to create converted phonemes from names to match voice inputs with specific name-telephone number data from the computer-based address book programs for initiating an automatic dialing. In other embodiments, there is no host computer or computer network, and a stand alone computer system with the aforesaid features is described.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,911 B2 describes a speech enabled automatic telephone dialer device, system, and method using a spoken name corresponding to name-telephone number data of computer-based address book programs. The invention includes user telephones connected to a PBX-type telephony mechanism, which is connected to a telephony board of a name dialer device. User computer workstations containing loaded address book programs with name-telephone number data are connected to the name dialer device. The name dialer device includes a host computer in a network; a telephony board for controlling the PBX for dialing; a memory within the host computer for storing software and name-telephone number data; and, software to access computer-based address book programs, to receive voice inputs from the PBX-type telephony mechanism, to create converted phonemes from names to match voice inputs with specific name-telephone number data from the computer-based address book programs for initiating an automatic dialing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,607 B1 describes a system and method that automatically provides dynamically generated completion information for facilitating user input of email addresses or contact information. This completion information is developed from a “data store” comprised of multiple data sources such as previously sent or received mail, and other types of electronic files such as word processor or spreadsheet files. The present invention monitors and uses the information in the data store to automatically store, track, maintain, and organize data entries in a dynamic “resolution list”. As a user begins to input an email address or contact, the present invention can either automatically complete the entry using a most probable result from the resolution list, or can display a list of likely matches from which the user may select the desired email address or contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,694 B1 describes an Internet controlled telephony system employing a host services processor connected to subscriber via the Internet and further connected to the public switched telephone system (PSTN). The subscriber employs a web interface to populate a database with preference data which is used by the host services processor to handle incoming calls and establish outgoing telephone connections in accordance with the preference data provided by the subscriber. Incoming calls to a telephone number assigned to the subscriber may be automatically forwarded to a telephone number specified by the preference data. The subscriber may also use the web interface to specify whether call waiting is to, be activated, to screen or reroute calls from designated numbers, for recording voice mail messages in designated voice mailboxes, for selectively playing back voice mail messages via the web interface or for forwarding voice mail as an email attachment, for handling incoming fax transmissions using character recognition and email attachment functions, and for automatically paging the subscriber when incoming voice mail, fax or email messages are received, all in accordance with the preference data supplied by the subscriber using the web interface. Outgoing connections and conference calls may be initiated using the web interface, and the subscriber may block the operation of caller identification functions. Call process information may be visually displayed to the subscriber during calls by transmitting web pages from the host services computer to the subscriber's web browser.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,299 B1 describes a system, method, and computer readable medium containing computer readable instructions for causing a computer to parse selected electronic contact information into fields of a record for storage in a contact database for use by an electronic address book program without opening the electronic address book module. The system may include a selection module that permits a user to select electronic contact information, an initiation module that enables a user to initiate parsing of the selected electronic contact information into fields of a record for storage in the contact database, a parsing module that parses the electronic contact information into fields of a record in a format for storage in the contact database, and a storage module that stores a record from the fields assigned by the parsing module in the contact database. The selection module and the initiation module may operate through operation of a select and click combination through use of a computer mouse and selection of a computer screen icon presented to the user by the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,369 B1 describes a network-computer-based personal contact manager system wherein users of networked clients maintain and update a set of user information which is stored in a relational database on a networked server. The personal contact manager system allows each user to specify on an individual basis which of their contacts are permitted to access respective datums of their user information. In some cases, and assuming permission is granted, the system will issue notifications (e.g., by e-mail) to a user's contacts when the user changes his information or when a preset event, such as a birthday, as defined by the user, is to occur. The system also allows users to find contacts based on common group affiliations and notifies users when there are coincidences in their data (e.g., travel plans, astrological compatibility). The personal contact manager system supports the retrieval of information on the contacts of contacts, assuming such as permission has been granted by the contacts and their contacts, and can also be used to synchronize the server database with a PIM database of the user and any contacts of the user who have the appropriate permissions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,594 describes a technique for creating, training, and using a telecommunication network-based automatic voice-dialing system through the automatic determination, by a network element, of likely called parties for a given customer. This determination is made based on records of network usage by the customer. Names of the likely called parties are determined through the use of e.g., a conventional reverse telephone directory database.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,364 describes a telephone communications system Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) platform that provides a voice activated call dialing functionality through speaker independent phoneme speech recognition having a minimum volume of storage without requiring user template training. Speaker independent phoneme recognition identifies phoneme strings of caller spoken utterances which are compared to phoneme string representations that previously have been stored in respective caller processing records (CPRs) for those subscribers listed in the ISCP database, or stored in an equivalent peripheral database with which the ISCP can communicate. Each stored phoneme string representation is associated in the CPR with a destination telephone number that may be extracted to route a call.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,891 describes a method and apparatus for assisting voice-dialing using a model of an individual's calling behavior to improve recognition of an input name corresponding a desired telephone number. When the individual picks up u telephone, activity is initiated in &neutral network model of the individual's calling behavior that predicts the likelihood that different numbers will be called, given such predictors as the day of the week and the time of day. The model is constructed by training the neutral network with data from the user's history of Making and receiving telephone calls. The auditory output from an automatic speech recognition system and the output from the user model are integrated together so as to select the number that is most rely to be the number desired by the speaker. The system can also provide automatic directory assistance, by speaking the number aloud rather than dialing it. In one version, the system is a personal directory for an individual maintained on that individual's personal computer. In another version, the system serves as a directory for a given physical or virtual site, with information about the institutional organization at the site in addition to individual calling histories used to track calling patterns and make predictions about the likelihood of calls within the site.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,063 describes methods and apparatus for activating telephone services in response to speech. A directory including names is maintained for each customer. A speaker dependent speech template and a telephone number for each name, is maintained as part of each customer's directory. Speaker independent speech templates are used for recognizing commands. The present invention has the advantage of permitting a customer to place a call by speaking a person's name which serves as a destination identifier without having speak an additional command or steering work to place the call. This achieved by treating the receipt of a spoken name in the absence of a command as an implicit command to place a call. Explicit speaker independent commands are used to invoke features or services other than call placement. Speaker independent and speaker dependant speech recognition are preformed on a customer's speech in parallel. An arbiter is used to decide which function or service should be performed when an apparent conflict arises as a result of both the speaker dependent and speaker independent speech recognition step outputs. Stochastic grammars, work spotting and/or out-of-vocabulary rejection are used as part of the speech recognition process to provide a user friendly interface which permits the use of spontaneous speech. Voice verification is performed on a selective basis where security is of concern.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.